December 14, 2017

^"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation,     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:25-32

There is a saying, "Seeing is believing."

Christians shouldn't say that because it is not a statement of faith. For those of us who are of the Faith, "believing is seeing!" and Christmas demonstrates it!

In this portion of the Christmas story Simeon believed in the Christ Child long before he saw him! When the Spirit of God revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes he believed it! He began hoping for it! It energized his life, while at the same time, freeing him to die!

This is true throughout the Christmas story!

Mary believed it before she saw it. She believed it in spite of the fact that a virgin has never conceived before or after her. It became real before it really happen for Mary!

Joseph believed it before he saw it. He had some crucial decisions to make at a critical juncture of his life and he had to decide if he would base those decisions on what he saw or what he believed. He believed before he saw!

Elizabeth believed before she saw. For many years this barren woman had lived with the belief she could not bear a child. That fact had shaped her reality. Now she was confronted with the promise of a new reality. What would she believe? See chose to see herself as a mother before she became one!

Ironically, the one who seemed to have the hardest time believing without seeing was the priest - Zechariah! The man of faith seemed to have the biggest struggle with faith! He laughed at the announcement! A priest laughing at God is not a good formula. You would think faith would come easier for someone who stands in the presence of God.

You cannot contemplate the Christmas story and draw the conclusion that "seeing is believing". This marvelous miraculous narrative illustrates the principle of faith that "believing is seeing"!

Do you have to see it to believe it or do you live by faith?

Your Good News Report For The Day

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."Luke 2:10-11

The angel came bringing good news!

And not just good news - good news of great joy!

That announcement presupposes that there was some bad news going on. Uh, yeah! This proclamation came to a people whose politics were bad news. They lived under Roman oppression. And their economy was bad news. They earned very little and much of what they did earn went to the Romans. There was an ultra-wealthy ruling class and a lot of really poor folks and no welfare program. Even worse, their religion was a disaster! It was oppressive, demanding, impersonal and corrupt. This was the world the average Jew lived in! And there was no hope on the horizon!

But then in a remote pasture to some lonely shepherds, hope came! Good news was announced!

As a pastor, I live in a world of bad news. Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear some bad news about someone. I have my own bad news to deal with, too. How do I cope with all the bad news? What am I to do in an uncertain economy, an ever-expanding and increasingly oppressive government, and a faith that is daily attacked and minimized?

What are you to do?

Well, I am a minister of "the Gospel". What is the "Gospel"? The "Gospel" means "good news"! In a world of bad news I believe the good news! The very same good news that the angel brought to the shepherds! The good news that Christ has come! A Savior is born! The Savior died for my sins to conquer sin and rose again to conquer death! For me! For you! For everyone who believes and receives the good news!

Am I to deny the bad news? 

Am I to ignore it? 

No! I speak good news to it! I deal with bad news in the power of the good news. I live in the knowledge the the good news is more powerful and longer lasting than the bad news! The good news is more real than the bad news! The good news means more and brings more joy in light of the bad news! My hope is in the good news!

As we move into this week before Christmas and as you celebrate Christmas at your church and with your family and in your quiet time with the Lord, rejoice at the reality of the "Gospel" the good news of salvation! God has conquered sin and death and through the power of the good news living in and through you and me He is conquering evil. Rejoice that the bad news will end but the good news is eternal - and only gets better!

That is your good news report for today!

December 12, 2017

"Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Luke 1:18-20

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month." Luke 1:34-36

Have you ever noticed how most people find it easier to believe bad news than to believe good news?

When Zachariah and Mary were presented with some of the best news ever shared, they questioned it. Understandable - but not acceptable.

However, it is encouraging to notice how Gabriel responded in each case. He gave them evidence! And I believe he did so because he understood that they wanted to believe but they weren't used to such good news! so, he helped them!

In Zachariah's case, he struck him dumb, so he could not speak. At first glance it looked like a judgment, but I believe it was evidence. I think it was for Zachariah's benefit. How better to believe a supernatural report than to see something supernatural happen?

For Mary, the angel gave her two proofs, a longer-term proof - pregnancy; and a shorter term proof - her formerly barren cousin, Elizabeth's pregnancy.

Here's the good news I get from both of these examples, God not only asks to have faith, He gives it to us! When He knows we really want to believe He will give us evidence to believe. I like that! I need that!

Now on my part, I need to work on my faith until I find it easier to believe good news from God, from His Word, and by His Spirit. I must condition my faith to expect good things from the Hand of God and to know that He will also turn the bad news into good in His time! That is my part! But I can even count on His grace to help me there! And I can condition my heart and mind and spirit by saturating them in the Word of God.

So this is the good news of Christmas - for those who believe and those who are wanting to believe more - there really is only good news! There is immediate good news and there is ultimate good news! That is the God we serve! Christmas is the evidence!

December 11, 2017

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! " Philippians 2:5-8

Everyone who has ever struggled in a relationship should be thankful for Christmas!

I guess that would include about all of us! I know people who do relationships better than others but I don't know anyone who hasn't struggled with a spouse or a parent or a sibling or a co-worker or a neighbor or someone!

There is a simple reason why we struggle with relationships - SIN! That's right, sin! Sin, as in selfishness. Sin as in self-seeking! Sin as in selfish ambition. When sin rules in your heart and mind, you are a user not a lover. When sin rules in your heart and mind, you are separated from God and God is love. Sin not only brings separation it brings isolation, it brings alienation, it brings humiliation, it brings degradation, and it brings complications.

Christmas reminds us of how much God desires to be in relationship with you and me! He literally moved Heaven and earth to remove the barriers that separated us and Him. I'm not sure any of us will ever understand why He loves us that much, but the "good news of great joy" is that He does love us and Christmas proves it.

There has never been a great or more damaging relationship breech than the one that separated God and man. Only God could bridge that gap and Jesus became that bridge! Because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit He was born sinless and lived His life in perfect obedience. That allowed Him to bear the guilt and penalty of our sins!

Relationship with God is now possible through Christ! Once you enter into relationship with God, healthy relationships with others becomes possible!

As Christmas 2017 draws near, is there a relationship or two that needs some healing? I understand it takes two to heal a relationship (actually it takes three), but with God's help and with Christ's example, you can begin the healing! If Christmas can bridge the gap between God and you, is there any relationship that can't be healed?

Christmas says, "No!" What will you say?

December 10, 2017

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."  Philippians 2:7-9

I remain captivated by this rich portion of Scripture. Paul is revealing some radical concepts about the love of God and how it should impact the way you and I should love.

For centuries there has been much speculation about the Anti-Christ, who he might be and when he would appear. That will continue until it actually happens and will probably catch most of us by surprise. But, in this Scripture we see the "anti-human" nature of Christ. He WAS essentially God, but became incarnate in human flesh.

It was this mystical union of God and man that made it possible for us to be delivered from sin. Jesus possessed the very thing that led to original sin - He was God. Lucifer was not God but tried to be and sinned. Adam was not God but wanted to be and sinned. Since that original sin our human nature has been contaminated with this desire to be like God. It is a rebellious nature. It is an attempt to escape accountability. It is a desire to do whatever we desire and face no consequences.

Jesus had that in His position as the Son of God, the Second Person in the Trinity. He could have clung to that. We would have! But He surrendered it and humbled Himself to become obedient to death. Because of His super-human, sinless nature, He was uniquely able to deliver us from our sins. Jesus, the Second Adam, was able to undo what Adam had done!

That is good news of great joy!

December 9, 2017

^"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:18-21

I was visiting my brother in Sacramento a number of years ago.

My family and his decided that we would spend an afternoon floating the American River in a raft. We had a blast.

Our pleasant afternoon nearly turned tragic, though.

Looking up river we saw that our raft was approaching a section of rapids. As the raft began to pick up speed in the first part of the rapids my brother went to the front set of oars and I grabbed the back oars. We began steering the raft through the rocks and the rapids.

Suddenly someone yelled, "Where's Mikey?"

Mikey, my brother's youngest son had been wanting to use the oars but had been told "no". Unbeknownst to me, when I slid backwards to get to the oars Mikey had lunged forward. I never felt it, but he bumped into me and fell overboard into the rapids and under the raft.

Again, someone yelled, "I don't see him!"

It had to be a moment of divine intervention because immediately and simultaneously my brother and I both shouted, "He's under the raft!"

Without thinking nor remembering how I got there, I instantly found myself over the back of the raft holding onto it and dragging my feet on the rocks below. At the same instant and again, without thinking, my brother slid to the front of the raft. My weight at the back of the raft slowed it enough that the swirling water shot Mikey out toward the front of the raft where my brother, Mike, grabbed him up out of the water.

Mikey was saved from a sure death!

His disobedience had gotten him into a deadly spot. The force of the current kept him trapped. He was unable to free himself. Unless an outside force came to his rescue he was doomed.

Does any of that sound familiar? It should! That's your story! That's my story!

That story is the story behind the Christmas story. God sent "JESUS" - "the salvation of God"! That's why the angel was insistent with Mary and Joseph, "You SHALL call his name "JESUS" for He will save His people from their sins."

The Word Became Flesh & Made His Dwelling Among Us

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Paul Harvey told the story about a family on Christmas Eve. This family had a tradition where the Mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service, and the Father would stay home and read the paper. When the family returns home from church, they would all gather to open up their presents.

The Father was not an evil man, but he just couldn't believe in the childhood stories anymore of God coming as a baby in a manger. As the family left for church, he opened up the evening paper and began to read by the fireplace.

Suddenly, he heard tapping on the window. It was a bird flying against the glass of his window trying to get out of the snow into the warmth of his home. The man had compassion on the bird, and he went outside, hoping to bring it in.

As he approached the bird, the bird just flew against the window even harder. Pretty soon, the bird flew into the bushes below the window, half frozen, yet too afraid to be caught by this huge man. The more the man tried to reach for the bird, the more the bird flew frantically into the snow and thorns of the bushes.

After a few minutes in the cold and seeing the bird continue to injure its self, the man yelled out in frustration, "Stupid bird, can't you understand that I'm trying to help?" The man paused and thought, "If only you understood you wouldn't fly away ... if only ... if only I could become a bird maybe I could get you to understand."

Just then, the church bells rang, as they always have on the hour. But when the man heard the bells this time, he fell to his knees and began to cry, saying, "Oh, God, I didn't understand. Oh, God, I didn't understand."

God's Son came in human form that we might understand from where we have come, for what reason we were separated and how we could be restored to God.